General

Have you ever been to the Houston Arboretum & Nature Center? If so, you know what an incredible experience. If not, boy, are you missing something special. Not only is it a fabulous place to walk (with miles of comfortable trails and tons of wildlife and plantlife), the arboretum offers a continuous schedule of classes […]
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Happy Holidays! I can’t think of a better holiday gift than to help someone whose plant isn’t doing what it should be doing. Maybe this will help some of you too. In fact, here are two gifts: Help for a reader AND all the exciting events coming up at Mercer Arboretum and Botanic Gardens — […]
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My last blog post (David’s Quirky Gardens) explained why — as a strong proponent of well drained gardens in this area — I find my brother David’s somewhat quirky approaches to gardening both intriguing and practical. His “sock” garden (above) would be great for folks with very limited soil access and/or growing space — as […]
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As anyone who reads this blog regularly knows, I’m BIG on cylinder gardening for Greater Houston area gardeners. Given our fascination with drought-tolerant plants — which do great in our hot dry summers, but suffer mightly during our (usual) spring and fall monsoons — it’s only logical that providing great drainage is definitely a key […]
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The National Wildlife Federation is begging us, “Don’t Kiss Off the Mistletoe!” True, mistletoe is famed for its stolen-kisses power. But the NWF begs us to remember this (sometimes-considered-invasive) evergreen plant also is important to wildlife. And, they say, it may have critical value for humans, too. To quote a recent NWF email: Extracts from […]
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Have to admit, this is one of the most fun email queries I’ve ever gotten. Dear Ms. Smith, When I lived in Houston I used to listen to Bob Flagg and Bette Odale while I was working at KTRH and Channel 2. I even used to have Bob’s annual almanac. I don’t have them any more […]
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If you’re like I am, over the years you’ve probably planted — and killed — a million Christmas gift poinsettias. Maybe that’s the problem. Maybe what we need to be planting are unpampered plants, some not forced into color for for us to buy? Over the years, I’ve written several times about the success Ed […]
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Gardener, thy name had better be “Patience.” My apologies to Mr. Shakespeare. But, boy, do I have proof! Shortly after the Allison Flood, sometime around 2002, I guess, Jerry Seymore of Jerry’s Jungle Gardens persuaded me to try a Brazilian Red Cloak (Megaskepasma erythrochlamys). Jerry knows what a truly lazy gardener I am. And with […]
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Here’s a great Christmas project for chldren (or you!). And a reader, Bruna, gave me a neat early Christmas present with her (turned out to be delightful) email request. See end of blog. Bruna sent in this picture of hyacinths in bloom, wanting to know what flowers these are. And what should she do with […]
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A Happy Mother’s Day gift the perfect way to teach about plant DNA? St. Thomas Episcopal School’s Life Science teacher Jane Doerries proved it’s so! Above is one of her four 7th grade classes that rooted cuttings for their mothers for Mother’s Day gifts and in the process learned a lot about plant DNA. Mrs. […]
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